


There's No Equation For Love

by zonerunner



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 20:23:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13131483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zonerunner/pseuds/zonerunner
Summary: Logan was incredibly intelligent, that much was indisputable. With a tested IQ of 137, he excelled in science - more specifically quantum physics - and was currently working towards a Physics degree at university. He was passionate about literature, psychology and astronomy, and knew more random trivia than any of his friends. Since he was young, he’d been told he was clever an innumerable amount of times. It had become his defining trait.But if Logan was so smart, why didn't he know how to secure a date with Virgil?





	1. Chapter 1

Logan was incredibly intelligent, that much was indisputable. With a tested IQ of 137, he excelled in science - more specifically quantum physics - and was currently working towards a Physics degree at university. He was passionate about literature, psychology and astronomy, and knew more random trivia than any of his friends. Since he was young, he’d been told he was clever an innumerable amount of times. It had become his defining trait; people would often introduce him to others by saying something such as “This is Logan, he’s really clever,” or “This is Logan, he’s studying to be a scientist,” usually accompanied by a subtle, knowing widening of the eyes, as though Logan was something special.

 

But if Logan was so smart, why didn’t he know how to secure a date with Virgil?

 

Logan didn’t know how many times he had tried to ask Virgil on a date, but it had to be at least ten, probably more. Every time he’d thought about it, though, it was as though red lights had started flashing in his mind, a warning that there was no way he could just ask his friend of seven years on a date. For one, Virgil’s feelings for Logan were most likely entirely platonic, and on top of that, whenever Logan had thought he could muster the courage to finally ask Virgil on a date, he’d become tongue-tied, unable to formulate a coherent sentence, and always changing the subject hastily.

 

He’d lost count of the times his friend Roman had teased him about what Roman called his “schoolgirl crush”. It wasn’t a schoolgirl crush. Virgil was just undeniably adorable. He was quiet and shy, and yet had some admirable comebacks when it came to it. The way he smiled softly and rubbed the back of his neck when Logan complimented him was a trait Logan found to be extremely endearing. But Logan did  _ not _ have a crush.

 

Maybe just a little.

 

That was why Logan was approaching Virgil, who was sitting with his back against the trunk of a tree on the sunny campus. It looked as though he were writing an essay or assignment of some kind. As Logan made his way towards Virgil, there was a single objective in his mind: ask Virgil on a date. Theoretically, it shouldn’t be that hard. All Logan had to do was simply say “Virgil, would you like to go get coffee with me one day?”, or words to that effect. It was rather simple. The difficult part was actually getting up the nerve to say it. No matter how illogical it was, Logan could not stop himself from becoming tongue-tied.

 

This time, however, it would be different. Everything would go to plan. He was sure of it.

 

“Hi, Virgil.”

 

Virgil looked up at Logan, smiling upon seeing him. The asymmetry of the expression made him look rather adorable, if Logan was honest with himself.

 

“Hey, Logan. How’s it going?”

 

“Alright. I just got out of a lecture,” Logan answered, sitting down on Virgil’s left. “How about you?”

 

Virgil motioned towards the notes in his lap and the folder to his right. “Assignment.”

 

Logan glanced at his friend’s paper, covered in spidery handwriting. “What’s it about?”

 

“Well, our instructions were to write a story with a minimum of two thousand words with themes of magic or fantasy, so that’s what I’m doing. Trying to do, anyway.”

 

“Yes, but what is yours specifically about? I’m sure it’s good.”

 

Virgil rubbed the back of his neck and smiled ever so softly - both traits he exhibited whenever someone paid him a compliment, Logan knew. “It’s not that great, Lo. It’s about a community of witches in mid-seventeenth century Salem who want to make peace with the rest of the world so there’s no more mistreatment of their kind, but the protagonist is a witch who isn’t so nice, and wants to get back at the rest of the world for the way they have treated witches. Morally, there will be a lot of grey areas, and by that I mean it’s a strong question of good or bad and how it’s not what you might think at first, but yeah. Hopefully it’ll turn out well.” He smiled.

 

Logan raised his eyebrows in awe. “How did you come up with that?”

 

“I don’t know, I just thought about the assignment and thought of the idea. It’s nothing special, really.”

 

“Nonsense,” Logan replied. “That’s incredibly creative.”

 

Smiling softly, Virgil rubbed the back of his neck, causing Logan to have to suppress a small smile of his own.

 

“If you say so,” Virgil shrugged.

 

“I do.”

 

For a few moments, they sat together in silence, Virgil working on his story, the two simply enjoying each others’ company. Logan saw that now was his chance to ask Virgil, but he struggled to find the words, debating on how to phrase the question for at least a minute before speaking. What if Virgil rejected him? What if Logan was ruining their friendship by making things romantic? What if Logan’s feelings were unrequited?

 

Logan thought of some advice Roman had given him when the two of them had last seen each other, two days ago. Just go for it, he’d said. Steadying himself, Logan decided to do as Roman had suggested.

 

“Virgil?”

 

Virgil looked up from the paper, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “Hm?”

 

Logan took a deep breath. “Uh… do you… um… would…” He broke eye contact, staring at the ground, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He felt like a fool. Why couldn’t he just ask one simple question? It didn’t matter. The entire endeavour was ridiculous anyway.

 

Looking up, he shook his head. “Nevermind. Hey, did you see the new AmazingPhil video?”


	2. Chapter 2

“You didn’t ask?”

 

Roman’s expression was incredulous as he stared at Logan, who rolled his eyes in return.

 

“That’s what I just said, Roman,” Logan responded sarcastically.

 

“How could you not ask? You and Virgil belong together! You’re simply meant to be!”

 

“Do you ever stop referencing Disney? You’re such a drama queen.”

 

Roman scoffed. “I am not a drama queen!”

 

“Yes, you are. I’m sat down on the bed like a normal person, but instead of sitting next to me or on a chair, you’re standing up, yelling about how we’re ‘meant to be’ and other romantic nonsense. Not to mention the way you keep flapping your arms around, doing all those silly gestures,” Logan remarked.

 

“Maybe you’re just boring, calculator watch,” Roman responded, flopping down next to him.

 

“Hardly likely, halfwit,” Logan fired back.

 

“Really, though, what are you going to do? The obvious idea, as I’ve been saying for weeks now, is to ask him out. It’s just a minor setback that whenever you try to ask him out, you turn into a stuttering schoolgirl.”

 

“I do not!”

 

Roman grinned, and nudged him playfully. “Relax, Einstein. I’m teasing.”

 

Logan rolled his eyes, trying his hardest not to smile. “Why do I even talk to you?”

 

“Because I’m fabulous, of course.” Roman batted his eyelashes.

 

“As if,” Logan snorted. Then, thinking of Virgil once again, his mood sobered. “What am I going to do, Roman?”

 

“Take a risk! Ask him out!” Roman’s tone held its usual dramatic flair at first, but then he paused, and spoke more seriously. “You and Virgil are some of the closest friends I’ve ever seen. You just click together. Who’s to say that the same dynamic doesn’t extend to romance? Virgil’s your friend, you don’t have to ”

 

“I can’t help it,” Logan replied. “I’m an idiot, Roman. I’m supposed to be smart - I should be able to figure out how to do this without any problems. It should be easy for me, but this isn’t a matter of simply solving a problem. I have no idea what to do. There’s no equation for love, but equations are all I’m good at.”

 

“That’s not true,” Roman protested.

 

“It is. I’m the smart, nerdy one. I shouldn’t be all caught up in romance like this.”

 

“Well, that’s simply not true. You’re gay, correct?”

 

Logan nodded, confused. “You know this, Roman. Why are you asking?”

 

“So that means you are attracted to other guys?”

 

“Yes, but-”

 

“So having romantic feelings for someone is completely normal. Why think of it as a burden when you can think of it as an adventure?” Roman smiled.

 

Logan rolled his eyes. “You’re so dramatic. Well, if this is an adventure as you say, then how do I proceed in said adventure?”

 

“Well, clearly simply going up to Virgil and asking him on a date isn’t an option. We need to think of something different.”

 

Roman fell into silence, wearing the expression Logan knew meant he was thinking hard. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “I have the perfect idea!”

 

“Oh god. Please tell me it’s realistic.” Dread formed in Logan’s mind as he wondered what outlandish fantasy Roman had conjured.

 

“It’s realistic, but it might involve some preparation.”

 

“Great,” Logan mumbled. Roman’s plans always struck him as unnecessarily frivolous.

 

“Okay, so here’s what will happen. Virgil likes night time, and he likes going up to the roof of his apartment building, right?”

 

“Correct.”

 

“Okay, so we’ll decorate the rooftop and make it look absolutely gorgeous. We’ll put up fairy lights in lots of colours, and when we turn them on, they’ll look simply magical! So we’ll have all the lights up, then you’ll lead Virgil to the roof with his eyes closed. Then he’ll open his eyes, and when he is enraptured by the scene before him, you will go down on one knee and proclaim your undying love!”

 

“This isn’t a marriage proposal, Roman.”

 

“I know, but don’t you think it’s a good idea?”

 

Logan thought for a moment. “No. It just seems too… flashy. I don’t think it’s something I would do.”

 

“Fair enough. Do you have any ideas, then?”

 

For a minute, Logan was silent, trying to think of a possible method, multiple scenarios coming to mind, only to be dismissed seconds later. He ran over what seemed like every possible way to ask someone out, only to conclude that they were either too sappy, too far-fetched, or just not good enough.

 

Then, in the back of his mind, an idea began to form. It wasn’t flashy or dramatic, as it would have been if it had been Roman’s idea, but Logan thought that maybe, just maybe, it might work. He thought of other ideas, both his and Roman’s, and pulled some elements from those into the idea he thought would be best.

 

A plan began to form in Logan’s mind, and he knew that it was perfect. It wasn’t much, but it was more than enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Logan waited nervously, rubbing his arms in an attempt to ward off the cold. The rooftop was certainly chillier than he’d anticipated, and he found himself wishing he’d brought a jacket, rather than simply thinking a long-sleeved shirt would be fine. The ledge Logan was sitting on was cold, the temperature reaching his legs through his trousers. It didn’t matter, though. It was worth being cold if everything would just go to plan. And everything would. He and Roman had planned it out to the last detail. This time, Logan would not trip over his words, or change the subject. Everything would run smoothly. And if Virgil didn’t say yes, then at least Logan would know the other man’s feelings, rather than being stuck in a state of constant uncertainty.

 

“You know, I never thought you’d come up here in a million years. Didn’t strike me as your kind of place.”

 

A familiar voice behind Logan made him jump, and he chastised himself for being so childish. Turning around, he looked at Virgil.

 

“Don’t do that, Virgil!”

 

“Do what, Logan?” Virgil smiled innocently.

 

“Do that thing where you just appear out of nowhere. You’re so quiet. Do you even walk?” As Logan spoke, he noticed the way his breath misted in front of him, his words becoming fog in the cold night air.

 

“Funny you should ask, because you’re right. I just teleport. I’m  _ magic _ ,” Virgil quipped sarcastically, accompanying the final word with a wiggle of his fingers. He sat down next to Logan, not seeming at all bothered by the cold. Perhaps it was the oversized hoodie he was wearing, as always. It suited him.

 

“That’s highly improbable.”

 

“You didn’t say impossible,” Virgil pointed out.

 

“That’s because it’s technically not. Maybe we as a species have no proof of the existence of something resembling the stereotypical idea of magic, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t exist at all. It’s entirely possible that magic could exist and we just don’t know, because we can’t see it. Perhaps magic is practised by beings invisible to the human eye, or beings that live on another planet, possibly billions of lightyears away from Earth… I’m rambling again, aren’t I?” Logan cut himself off, pushing his glasses up his nose the way he always did when he was embarrassed.

 

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

 

Smiling, Logan looked to his left, at the city below him. “I’ve never seen everything like this before. From here, in the night. It looks nice.”

 

“Yeah. The view up here’s amazing - all the city lights, especially when it gets dark. It’s great to draw, but it’s even better to see.”

 

Turning back to Virgil, Logan nodded, thinking to himself that he should do what he came here to do. It was better to get it over with than to worry about it.

 

“Hey, Virgil? Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Sure, fire away,” Virgil replied, although a hint of unease was present in his voice.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad at all,” Logan hastily reassured his friend.

 

Virgil exhaled in relief, an action he tried to hide, but one Logan picked up on nonetheless. “Okay.”

 

“I just wanted to ask the name of the person who played Wesley in Star Trek. I think his last name was Wheaton?”

 

“Oh, Wil. Wil Wheaton.”

 

“Thank you. Is it okay if I ask you a few more questions?”

 

“I mean, sure.”

 

“Great. So, if I was referring to myself, I’d say ‘me’, so what would I say if I was referring to someone else?”

 

“They? Or you?” A trace of confusion was showing on Virgil’s face, making Logan anxious, but he didn’t show it.

 

“You, right. What’s the opposite of stop?”

 

“Go. Logan, why are you asking me all this? I’m pretty sure you know the answer to all these questions.”

 

Logan didn’t answer Virgil’s question, instead asking another of his own before he lost courage. “So, in baseball, when you get three strikes, what are you?”

 

“Out, I’m pretty sure. But I know nothing about baseball.”

 

“Neither do I, that’s why I asked.” Logan flashed a brief smile before continuing. “In maths, to get the area of a rectangle, you multiply length by what?”

 

“Oh come on. Width. You know this, Mr Scientist.”

 

“Yeah, okay. One last question: what comes after do and re?”

 

“Mi.”

 

“Thanks. Could you just repeat all your answers for me?”

 

“Sure. Wil, you, go, out, width…”

 

Virgil trailed off, realisation dawning on his face as his eyes widened.

 

“Oh my god.” He paused. “Logan, what… is this a joke?”

 

“No, Virgil, it’s not a joke.” Logan took a deep breath. “I’ve actually been wanting to ask you for a long time, but I never really had the nerve.”

 

“Logan, I-”

 

“No, I shouldn’t have asked you like this.” Logan cut Virgil off, nerves getting the best of him as he looked away. “I should have just asked you straight out, rather than trying to make it all cool and funny. I just got nervous, and I don’t know, I just thought that there was a chance you might think of me in the same way, but that’s ridiculous, of course you don’t, we’re just friends, I didn’t mean-”

 

“Yes..”

 

Logan looked back at Virgil, who was smiling. “What?”

 

“You asked me a question, and I answered. I’d be overjoyed if I was able to go out with you.”

 

“Really?” Logan could barely process what he was hearing - he’d been so prepared for rejection that he had no idea to react to acceptance.

 

“Of course.” Virgil’s smile grew wider. “I, uh, actually really like you. Romantically, that is.”

 

“That’s… I’m…” For the first time he could remember, Logan found himself at a loss for words.

 

Logan saw Virgil’s chest rise and fall once, quickly, then something completely unexpected happened.

 

Virgil leant forward and kissed him.

For a moment, Logan was completely stunned, unmoving. Then, letting go of all second thoughts, he kissed Virgil back, wrapping his arms around the black-clad boy as all his anxiety from asking Virgil out seemed to melt away. Logan had never kissed anyone before, but he knew that, were he to kiss anyone else, it wouldn’t even compare to what was happening right now. Here, on the rooftop, with the city lights below him, and the most amazing person he knew… well, it was most definitely one of the best experiences of his life.

 

As Logan deepened the kiss, he realised that he didn’t have any idea what he was doing. Sure, he’d asked Virgil out, and they were kissing. They’d go on a few dates, become a couple maybe. But what then? As much as he hated to admit it to himself, the always-sure Logan was, for the first time, completely in the dark.

 

Maybe he didn’t have to know what he was doing, though. Maybe it wasn’t always best to try and plan things out. It wouldn’t be so bad to just see what happened, and where things went. Logan was sure that whatever happened would be as close to perfect as it was humanly possible to achieve.

 

There was no equation for love, that much was true.

 

But there didn’t need to be.


End file.
